BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
Brit model/actress Elizabeth Hurley has announced her 3-year marriage to Indian mogul Arun Nayar is over, just hours after UK tabloids printed a picture of her in the embrace of former Australian cricketer Shane Warne (oops, that clinch really cost!) . . . Show biz pop Billy Ray Cyrus has tweeted his sadness about daughter Miley’s now viral ‘bong video’ contending, “There is much beyond my control right now” (a slam on the soon-to-be ex-wife, no?) . . . “America’s Got Talent” host Nick Cannon is denying rumors wife Mariah Carey is expecting twins (of course, for a long time he denied she was even preggers) . . . Disney star Selena Gomez is denying reports she’s dating Justin Bieber after they were spotted together at an International House of Pancakes last week by saying, “It was pancakes, who doesn’t like pancakes?” (hmm, she’s got a point) . . . A rapper named Paris (Oscar Jackson Jr) is suing NBC-TV, claiming it stole the idea for the reality series “School Pride” from his program proposal “Your School Makeover”, copyrighted in 2007 (if he’s got the documentation, he just hit the jackpot!) . . . The other day actor Jake Gyllenhaal called the cops when paparazzi became too aggressive tailing him & Taylor Swift while they cruised Beverly Hills CA, and LAPD not only responded but dispatched a helicopter to watch over their Audi Q7 (like they’d do for anyone who calls) . . . And cancer-stricken actor Michael Douglas & his actress-wife Catherine Zeta Jones have been named ‘Top Celebrity Couple of 2010’ in an online poll by dating website Chemistry.com, beating out Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt (who didn’t have any physical maladies to generate sympathy).

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Bon Jovi – For the 2nd time in 3 years, they rank as the year’s highest-grossing touring act. According to “Billboard Boxscore”, they grossed over $146 million, attracted more than 1.59 million fans, and sold out 69 concert dates.
• Loretta Lynn – In conjunction with the album “Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn”, Sony Music Nashville has commissioned the creation of the ‘Loretta Lynn Van Lear Rose’. The first of the new hybrid rose plants will be delivered to her ranch next Spring.
• Michael Jackson – Today his posthumous album “Michael” is out, featuring collaborations with Akon, 50 Cent, and Lenny Kravitz. The tracks were co-produced by Jackson and culled mostly from material recorded in the 3 years leading up to his death in 2009. Producer Teddy Riley says that even more Jackson material is on the way in the near future.
• Mumford & Sons – Today a deluxe edition of their breakthrough album “Sigh No More” is available. The CD/DVD set includes a bonus live album.
• Neil Young – Today “Le Noise Film”, a 38-minute companion film to his Grammy-nominated latest album “Le Noise”, is released on Blu-ray & DVD exclusively through Amazon.com.
• Pearl Jam – Their manager Kelly Curtis has confirmed the band will mark its 20th anniversary with its very own music festival next Summer. They also plan to release a new live album next year, and Eddie Vedder will do a solo tour of Australia in March.
• Prince – Tonight he kicks off his “Welcome 2 America” tour in East Rutherford NJ with the first of 5 gigs in the NYC area over the next 2 weeks.
• R Kelly – Today his 11th studio album, “Love Letter”, debuts. A holiday-themed remix called “Love Letter Christmas” is also being released.
• Rihanna – Gossip blogs are reporting she’s dumped her baseball player-boyfriend Matt Kemp (LA Dodgers) for cheating, and she’s now hanging with rapper Drake.

TODAY’S VIDEO RELEASES:
• “The A-Team” ( PG-13 Action Adventure ): Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, and Jessica Biel star in this movie version of the 1983-87 TV show about 4 wrongly court-martialed Special Forces vets who attempt to clear their names while unleashing obscene amounts of ammo.
• “Despicable Me” ( PG Animated Comedy ): In a happy suburban neighborhood a trio of orphaned girls cause the normally deplorable villain ‘Gru’ to rethink his plan to steal the Moon. Voice cast includes Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Julie Andrews.
• “Mother & Child” ( R-Rated Drama ): Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, and Kerry Washington portray 3 different women with one thing in common – they’ve all been profoundly affected by adoption. Co-stars Samuel L Jackson, Jimmy Smits.
• “Nanny McPhee Returns” ( PG Family Comedy ): This time Emma Thompson’s character shows up to help a harried young mother (Maggie Gyllenhaal) with running the family farm while her husband is away at war, using her magic to teach the kids important new lessons.
• “The Other Guys” ( PG-13 Action Comedy ) – Will Ferrell & Mark Wahlberg play a pair of action-starved NYPD detectives who get more than they can handle when they stumble onto a big case. Dwayne Johnson & Samuel L Jackson play the hero cops that the ‘other guys’ idolize.
• Also released today: “24: The Complete Series” (TV); “Army Wives: The Complete 4th Season” (TV); “Exit Through the Gift Shop” (Doc); “Gasland” (Doc); “Gunsmoke: The 4th Season” (Vintage TV); “Hawaii Five-O: The 10th Season” (Vintage TV); “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” (Comedy); “Robert Klein: Unfair & Unbalanced” (Comedy); and “San Francisco Giants: 2010 World Series Collector’s Edition” (Sports).

SMART WALLET:
When we all used cash it was easy to keep track of spending, but with today’s card culture it’s all too easy to overspend without knowing it. MIT researchers are working on a wallet that warns you when you get carried away. The ‘Proverbial Wallet’ gets details of your bank account via a Bluetooth link to your smart phone, then uses physical feedback to communicate your bank balance. That could come via a pattern of buzz signals; in a version that makes the wallet harder to open as your account balance goes down; or in yet another that bulges or shrinks relative to how loaded you are. (There’s still also the option of good old paper cash.)
– New Scientist.com

THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS:
• A yule log is a popular dessert in many countries. It has its origins in the belief that when a log was burned in an open fire at Christmas, the ashes had miraculous powers.
• The earliest tree decorations were in Medieval plays that told the story of ‘Adam & Eve’. The trees in the ‘Garden of Eden’ were, according to these sagas, adorned with apples and cookies.
• The story of ‘Rudolph’ is a modern invention that has quickly become a classic. It is based partly on the tale of “The Ugly Duckling”.
• Decorating homes with evergreens dates back to pre-Christian times when ivy was linked with the power of eternity. It represented life continuing through the cold months of Winter.
• The use of mistletoe goes back to pagan times when Druids coveted it for its magical healing powers.
• Gifts have been wrapped since the invention of paper circa 105 AD in China. Decorative gift wrap didn’t take off, however, until Christmas 1917.
• Charms were often dropped into the traditional plum pudding before it was cooked. The lucky (or unlucky) person to find a ring, button, thimble, or coin could expect marriage, spinsterhood, bachelorhood, or wealth respectively during the following year.
– Condensed from “The Ultimate Christmas Book”

FIZZIES IN THE FAUCET:
At 128 liters (34 gallons) per person per year, the French consume one of the highest per capita amounts of bottled water in the world. In an effort to promote the use of more eco-friendly tap water, the city of Paris is offering … free sparkling water. A public fountain in the Jardin de Reuilly now serves up water that’s been both chilled and injected with carbon dioxide to make thin and tasty bubbles. Eau de Paris hopes the idea will inspire Parisians to reduce the use of plastic bottles. In northern Italy, 215 similar fountains have been installed and have proven very popular. (Even better … the beer fountain!)
– Springwise.com

FOR THE RECORD:
In a quest to find Great Britain’s ultimate Santa, organizers at “Guinness World Records” sponsored the first-ever ‘Santathon’ back in 2001. The event included a field of 8 top contenders donned in full beard, red suit, and black boots. Competitive events included ‘sack-hauling’, ‘pie eating’, ‘chimney climbing’, ‘stocking filling’, and ‘ho-ho-ho-ing’. First prize was awarded to 43-year-old David Broughton-Davis from Croydon, a professional department store Santa. Among his feats … eating 3 large mincemeat pies. (Erp!)
– Neatorama.com

BS AMAZING FACTS:
• Using your index finger to rub the spot between your upper lip and your nose in a circular motion for 10 seconds is said to help curb your appetite. It’s a form of reflexology.
– “First for Women Magazine”
• Recycling in some cities in North America does not always mean items are consistently recycled. They may be sold to overseas markets like China, where the plastic is indeed re-used, but will never have the chance of being recycled beyond its newly manufactured incarnation.
– TTP
• In a survey of men aged 75-to-95 by the Western Australian Centre for Health & Aging, about one-third of respondents reported having a sexual encounter within the past year.
– “Los Angeles Times”
• The Germans call gingerbread houses ‘hexenhausle’ (witches’ houses) after the witch’s house featured in the Grimm Bros’ fairytale “Hansel & Gretel”.
– RD.com

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Bouillabaisse Day”, a day to throw some shellfish in a pot with some finely-chopped onion, celery & tomato, a little white wine, a little more white wine, and – BAM!! – a whole mess of garlic. Nummers, instant heaven!

• “Cat Herders Day”, a day of sympathy for anyone who feels their job, or even their life, is like trying to herd cats.

• “Halcyon Days” begin, the 7 days before and 7 days after the Winter Solstice. According to ancient tradition, it’s a time of peace and tranquillity. (That’s ’cause they didn’t have malls!)

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1977 [33] “Saturday Night Fever” premieres, starring John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (the Bee Gees generate several hits from the soundtrack)

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
1950 [60] Seasonal recording “Frosty the Snowman” is released by Gene Autry & The Cass County Boys

AND REMEMBER . . .
[Thurs] Chocolate-Covered Anything Day
[Thurs] Underdog Day
[Fri] Wright Bros Day
[Fri] “The Fighter”; “How Do You Know”; “TRON: Legacy”; “Yogi Bear” open in movie theaters
[Sat] International Migrants Day
This Week Is … Civil Rights Week
This Month Is … International Calendar Awareness Month

BULL’S BITS

DISTURBING BS CHRISTMAS TRENDS:
• Drive-by caroling.
• Christmas stockings replaced by Trojan condoms.
• The re-gifting of re-gifts.
• Instead of a lump of coal in your stocking, something warm & gooey.
• The seasonal song “Whip My Reindeer”, sung by Willow Smith.
• Due to downsizing, a ton more elves on the street begging for change.
• The “Who’s Been Naughty List” now being maintained by WikiLeaks.
• The ABC-TV special “It’s a Twitter Christmas, Charlie Brown!”
– Adapted from TheFunnyBone.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
He’s discovered it’s really hard to make a comeback when you haven’t been anywhere.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
103.6 mph (166.7 km/hr) is the maximum speed of what?
a. The fastest-ever fastball delivered by a Major League Baseball pitcher.
b. The particles expelled during a sneeze. [CORRECT]
c. A Kia Rio … if it’s falling off a cliff.
– “Harper’s Index”

BS PHONE STARTER:
Have you ever grown anything unusual? If so, what?

FAMOUS FINAL WORDS OR FALLING-APART FAVRE?
Ask a contestant/crew member to guess whether the following quotes are the final words of a dying celebrity or from a post-game interview with ancient Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre …
• “I really can’t complain, although I probably should.” [Favre]
• “I am still alive!” [Dying Roman emperor Caligula]
• “I’m bored with it all.” [Dying Winston Churchill]
• “Mathematically, I don’t know what will happen, but, I mean, it’s over.” [Favre]
• “I’m sure my daughter’s heart is broken. Of course, so is mine.” [Favre]
• “Waiting, are they? Well, let ’em wait.” [Dying Ethan Allen]
• “I’ve had a hell of a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” [Dying Errol Flynn]
• “Tomorrow, the whole foot will be purple; my thigh will be purple; my wrist will be purple. Other than that, I’m okay.” [Favre]
• “I hold no regrets. It’s been everything I thought it would’ve been and then some.” [Favre]
• “I am a Queen, but I have not the power to move my arms.” [Dying Queen Louise of Prussia]
– Thanks to Robert Seulowitz

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Today’s Question: The older a new mom is, the more likely she is to have THESE.
Answer to Give Out Next Show: Twins. Multiple births are more likely among women 35-plus. (AskMen.com)

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
The saddest moment in a person’s life comes but once.